Massage therapists are specialists in the manipulation of soft tissue, including the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints of the human body. They work on these soft tissues with the primary goal of promoting health among their clients. Massage therapists can be found in many different settings such as physiotherapy and other multidisciplinary clinics, spas, long-term care facilities, and hospitals. In order to practice massage therapy in Ontario, you must be registered with the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario. Only individuals who are licensed with the college can use the titles “registered massage therapist” or “massage therapist”. This means that individuals using any other title, such as “masseuse”, may not have the same qualifications as a registered massage therapist.
To become a massage therapist and register with the college, an individual must complete a recognized massage therapy diploma program and the required certification exams. A typical diploma program for massage therapy is about 88 weeks long and includes 440 hours of clinical internship. The certification exams include a multiple choice section consisting of 150 multiple choice questions, as well as an objectively structured clinical examination consisting of seven test stations. Once an individual has passed the certification exams, they must obtain professional liability insurance and register with the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario in order to practice massage therapy.
What is the difference between a massage therapist and a medical massage therapist?
As mentioned previously, massage therapists are experts in the manipulation of soft tissue, with the goal of promoting health and wellness. The term medical massage therapist may be used to describe a massage therapist who primarily treats medical conditions. While many massage therapists will perform a variety of different styles of massage, some therapists may specialize in one particular style. In the same way, some massage therapists may specialize in treating certain populations or clinical cases. For example, massage therapists that work at a spa will likely focus primarily on relaxation massage. They will mainly treat clients who do not necessarily have a specific medical condition, but rather those who just want to relax and feel good.
This differs significantly from medical massage therapists, who mainly treat individuals with specific medical conditions. Medical massage therapists may focus more on certain areas that are related to your specific condition, and often use a higher pressure than relaxation massages. They may also use different techniques or modalities, such as acupuncture, trigger point release, and/or cupping. Since medical massage therapists are focused on treating a medical condition, they will create a treatment plan for your individual case.
Unlike a spa, where you may receive more sporadic massages here and there, medical massage therapists will recommend follow up visits at a specific frequency depending on your medical condition. By following this treatment plan, medical massage therapists intend to help create lasting change for your medical condition over time. Medical massage therapists often work in conjunction with other healthcare providers as well. For example, many massage therapists will work alongside a physiotherapist to help treat your medical condition. If you’re not already seeing a physiotherapist, they may recommend it, or your physiotherapist may recommend you see a medical massage therapist.
By working together as a team, you’re more likely to see improvement in your medical condition. This is significantly different from a massage at a spa, where your massage therapist will likely work independently with you.
Are massage therapists covered by insurance?
Insurance companies and plans can vary significantly in what they will cover. For most private insurance plans, there will be a portion of coverage allocated to massage therapy and physiotherapy. That being said, sometimes the coverage may be split between the two healthcare services. In this case, if you use one service, it will limit the amount of coverage you’ll get for the other service.
In other cases, coverage for physiotherapy and massage therapy will be separate. In this situation no matter how much you spend on massage, it won’t affect your physiotherapy coverage and vice versa. It’s important to check with your insurance provider how much coverage you’ll get for massage each year, and whether that coverage is shared among other healthcare services.